The lamp at the post office

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

The post office had been shut for an hour when I saw a figure beneath its lamp. He bent close to the door, then stepped back and looked along the empty road. I thought of a thief testing the latch. My hand was already on the stick I carried.

He did not touch the door again. Instead, he took a folded paper from his coat and held it up to the glass. The lamp showed a child’s name, written in a careful hand. After a moment, he lowered the paper and stood quite still. I noticed then that his other hand was clenched around a small parcel, its string dark with rain.

I had meant to demand an explanation. But he turned away before I could speak, and walked slowly towards the cottages. The name on the paper remained in my mind as I passed the post office. It seemed less like a warning than a message that had found no one to receive it.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to lead readers to reconsider their first impression of the stranger. Support your answer with references to the passage.